This invention relates to compositions useful in effecting antimicrobial activity against various microorganisms and, more particularly, to novel compositions containing lower alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and which are in the form of clear solutions which exhibit advantageous properties and to methods of preparing and using such compositions.
Heretofore, it has been known that certain p-hydroxybenzoic acid alkyl esters such as isopropyl p-hydroxybenzoate, isobutyl p-hydroxybenzoate and n-butyl p-hydroxybenzoate are useful as antimicrobial agents or preservatives. Such p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters are usually solid at room temperature and have generally been used as crystals in the United States. Ueno U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,131 does disclose that eutectic mixtures of p-hydroxybenzoic acid alkyl esters may be emulsified in an aqueous solution containing such colloid protecting substances as gelatin, carboxymethyl cellulose and the like. However, it is not believed that such emulsions have the desired degree of heat stability or freeze stability for all applications and also may be subject to "breaking" or separating into two phases. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to formulate p-hydroxybenzoic acid alkyl esters into clear solutions which are both heat and freeze stable without the necessity of employing a stabilizing agent.